Making Revolutionary Videogames with Verbs

Want to make a videogame, but don't know where to begin? Try starting with something we're all familiar with: verbs! Whether it's running or collecting, games are driven by verbs. In this session we'll look at games in terms of actions and explore how these actions express the messages and values of the game creators. We'll identify the verbs used in popular games and what these verbs say. Then we'll modify ("mod") these games, changing the verbs so they express our own messages and values. This is a paper prototyping session — there will be no computers and no programming!

The workshop will:1. Engage participants in a critical discussion about how values can be perpetuated by game mechanics2. Give participants tools to explore new game designs rooted in our values3. Connect participants in a shared creative experience